Native eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) has been documented in Zangle Cove since 2006. Currently the United State Department of Energy and the United States Environmental Protection Agency have provided funding for eelgrass research and test planting in Puget Sound. Approximately 45 square meters immediately adjacent to the proposed geoduck farm on Zangle Cove are being monitored by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
The US Deptment of Energy Report of September 2014 identified aquaculture activities as creating negative stressor on eelgrass (emphasis added):
Page iii, Abstract:
Surveys of stakeholders identified dredging/filling, shoreline development, water quality, and commercial aquaculture as the most significant stressors on eelgrass, and noted that new regulations and improved enforcement of existing regulations would be necessary to ensure continued recovery and protection of eelgrass.
Eelgrass in Zangle Cove